Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-08-27
ArgOnia's Woman MayOr.

HOW MRS sUsANNAH MADEIRA sALTER GUIDES THE
DEsflNIES OF LITTLE KANSAS TOWN.
From the New York World
Argonia, quite little town in Sumner County,
Kan, where one would never look for a sensation.
Is nevertheless just at present as noted In its way
as Kansas City or Chicago, and all because OF q
woman mayor, the only one OF the kind known in
the history even OF the progressive State Of Kan
SaS, which just at present seems DESTROYS OF irving
all possible experiments.
Mrs. Mayor Susannah MADEIRA Salter or Mayor
Mrs. Susannah Madeira Sa!ter, as one may chose
TO call her, is only tWenty-seven years OF age OF
about the average feminine height, and weighs
LIS pounds, according TO her confession She is
however, typical frontierman's wife, possessed
or Drawn and sinew rather than pleaSln, plump
ness and roundneSS OF form. She talks In an easy
eodndent style. IN fairly good English, in which
the western mixture OF lenses sometimes becomes
prominent. She Is always properly dIgnified. and
In all the experience OF ArEOn1a has never been
known TO crack joke in the council chamber
Her eyes are dark gray, and very deep set and de-
termlned looking, while her hair is inclined to
golden, and Is worn parted and crimped. She
MAKES all her own clothes, well as those OF her
four children, the second Of whom Was the first
child born ln the town. The youngest is little
girl year Old.
near Lamlra, Belmont County, Ohio, in 1862 but
when twelve years OF age went 10 Kansas with her
parents, and there was given limited schooling
at the Kansas State Industrial College, OF which
Congressman j. A. Anderson was then president
There she met Louis A. Salter, son OF an ex-
governor OF the State who was working
his way through college by running errands and
doing other work. The future mayoresS studied
the art OF dreSsInaking, and now boasts that she
has paid for the makiuX or but one gown fn her
life.
In the fall OF 1850 the present political leader OF
ArgoniaS destinies married Mr. Salter, and In
1So;, She her husband and her parents moved to
the town over whose government She now presides
The first mayor was Mrs. Salter's father. The first
winter Mr. and Mrs. Salter lived in deserted
corn house, the windows or which Were the chute
holes, while the cooking Was done On gasoline
stove, portable heater furnishing warmth. MIR.
hllSfnpSl a mi. hofva
10 prosper. They organized Baptist church, the
nrst In the place. and the wife took leading part
In the formation OF a WOmanS Christian Temper
ance Union Lodge, the meetings OF which she
Away insisted on having conducted according TO
the approved parliamentary rules OF debating so
cietieS, with which She had been made more or
less familiar at the Industrial school
Mrs Salter was nominated for mayor by the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union last spring
on strictly prohibition platform. The nominal
Ing convention was held in the Baptist church the
saturday evening before the election and was
the reading OF Psalm and by prayer. ticket
was nominated. ON election day the anti-prohibi-
tionists ordered their tickets printed with Mrs.
SalterS nalne as the candidate Tor mayor bur-
lesque. The temperance workers thereupon
waited on Mrs. Salter, finding her at the Tub
She was exceedingly angry when informed OF the
the oiIice il elected Her friends then went to
work with WILL and when the polls closed she
however, stoutly disclaims any preillection to
wards woman's rights, and in all family matters
| she defers TO her husband, well-to-do attorney
| and real estate agent.
Mrs Salter declares that one term is all shs
wants and that she Is not ambitious for any
further political preferment. She says, whenever
questioned on the subject, that she Will be GLAD
when her term Is ended, as she wants nothing bet
| ter than private life. She receives the pr1ncely
salary OF 81 year for guiding the Affairs OF The
town. The people, as a rule. are not overmuct
pleased With her administration, and IL is safe u
say that next spring she will not be called upon u
| take second term. In the council chamber II Il
| said that she presides with becoming severity
checking all inclinations 70 levity with magtste1a
| frowns.